Login to your account
News Search
News
FEATURED STORY
-
Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. Submits Top Bid for Jay Peak at $76 Million
PGRI president and CEO Vern Greco shares his thoughts on the acquisition with SAM. SAM Magazine—Jay, Vt., Sept. 8, 2022—Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PGRI) made the highest and best final bid to buy Jay Peak, $76 million, following an auction with multiple bidders. PGRI president and CEO Vern Greco told SAM that after three years spent pursuing the acquisition, PGRI is poised to bring renewed stability to the resort and its staff, and tap into its passion and energy. The prevailing bid remains subject to approval by the United States District Court in Southern Florida during a final hearing scheduled for Sept. 16. Judge Darrin P. Gayles, who has presided over the receivership in federal...
Get SAM Headline News delivered to your inbox. It's not just another email—it's industry news and special reports that matter to you, coming from the industry's trusted resource.
Banff Sunshine's web cam shows off mid-winter conditions in May.SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., May 12, 2026—Rocky Mountains ski areas closing in March? Snowmaking in the Mid-Atlantic in April? Feet of snow in the Sierras after all but a couple ski areas had closed? It’s been a wild few weeks for North America’s ski industry, and the season con...
SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 5, 2026—U.S. ski areas recorded an estimated 52.6 million skier visits in the 2025-26 season, down roughly 14 percent and 9 million visits year over year, according to preliminary data from the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA). The season ranked 32nd out of 48 on record, with poor snow conditions across...
SAM Magazine—Government Camp, Ore., May 1, 2026—Two Mt. Hood Skibowl employees were in a work carrier when it fell from the line of the Upper Bowl chairlift Thursday morning, killing one and injuring the other, according to a report from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. The carrier fell into rugged terrain. A third person on scene call...
SAM Magazine—Montville, N.J., May 1, 2026—Snow Partners is launching a new multi-mountain frequency product, Snow Pass. The pass will provide two days of access to each partner ski area and operate as a cooperative. The company is also expanding its three-day multi-mountain product Snow Triple Play to the Midwest after a successful inaugural se...
SAM Magazine—Claysburg, Pa., April 23, 2026—The parents of a 5-year-old boy who fell from a chairlift March 1 at Blue Knob All Season Resort were each arraigned this week on a felony charge of endangering the welfare of a child. The boy was riding the lift alone when he reportedly turned to adjust his goggles, slipped off the chair and fell 20 ...
SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., April 23, 2026—Skier visits, lift revenue, and other season-to-date metrics reported by Vail Resorts were down for the North American ski season through April 19, 2026, compared to the same period through April 20, 2025, due to “one of the most challenging winters in history across the western U.S.,” said Vai...
SAM Magazine—Grenoble, France, April 21, 2026—Global skier visits reached a record 399 million in the 2024-25 season, surpassing the previous high of 392 million set in 2018-19, according to the 18th edition of the International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism, compiled by Laurent Vanat. The report was released today at the Mountain Pl...
SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., April 20, 2026— National Ski Patrol (NSP) is surveying more than 300 ski area senior leaders to gather input that will help shape how the organization develops its education and training programs as well as its partnership efforts and revenue streams. It’s the first time in its 85-year history NSP has surveyed sk...
SAM Magazine—Denver, April 17, 2026—Nearly 2,000 current and former ski and snowboard instructors have joined a collective action Fair Labor Standards Act lawsuit against Vail Resorts, according to reports citing consent forms filed in federal court in Colorado last week. Quint et al. v. Vail Resorts, Inc., was first filed in 2020 by three B...
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., April 16, 2025—SAM’s Supplier News roundup delivers a quick look at the latest business moves shaping the mountain resort industry. From mergers and acquisitions to new services, partnerships, and product expansions, this snapshot keeps operators up to speed on the companies and solutions driving change across the ...
SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., April 13, 2026—Economic news conspired with abysmal snowfall and record-breaking warm temperatures during March to continue to drag down the 2025-26 winter season. Despite a weak booking pace, though, western mountain lodging properties in 17 resort destinations are looking at strong early numbers for the upcomi...
Indy Pass and Entabeni Systems owner Erik Mogensen has transformed this legacy ski area and designated it as his laboratory. It’s the perfect pitch here, but how will it translate elsewhere? (This is the fourth and final stop on the author’s Revival Road Trip.) By Andy Bigford At midafternoon on the first Saturday in March, with the sun ...
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., April 13, 2026—Nominations are now open for SAM’s annual “10 Under 30,” presented with support from Snow Operating. The program recognizes young professionals who are making meaningful contributions at their resorts and demonstrating strong potential for future leadership. Resort leaders are encouraged to nomi...
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., April 6, 2026—Nominations are now open for the sixth annual Rise Up Challenge. Hosted by SAM and sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA), the contest recognizes up-and-coming lift maintenance professionals and the teams that support them. Six resorts will be selected to produce videos offering a behind-the-scene...
SAM Magazine—Denver, April 2, 2026—SilverStar Mountain Resort in British Columbia has joined Ikon Pass as a partner resort and Giants Ridge, Minn., has been added as a bonus mountain on the 2026-27 pass. Matt Bowers, Alterra Mountain Company senior vice president of marketing, said British Columbia has some of the best mountain experiences i...
SAM Magazine—Jackson, N.H., March 31, 2026—Indy Pass has added seven new alpine ski area partners in the Midwest, Alps, and Japan as well as three cross country ski centers ahead of its public sales period for the 2026-27 pass, which begins at noon EDT on April 3. The new alpine partners added to the pass are Whitecap Mountain Resort, Paul Bun...
SAM Magazine—Beaupré, Québec, March 31, 2026—Rendering of the new gondola cabins. Credit: Doppelmayr.Mont-Sainte-Anne has ordered three new lifts to replace four existing lifts as part of a CA$100 million investment plan that operator Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) is undertaking in partnership with the Québec government to modernize ...
SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., March 27, 2026—Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company have been named in a federal antitrust class-action lawsuit challenging pricing and competitive practices tied to their Epic and Ikon passes, respectively. Filed March 23 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, the complaint alleges the compan...
SAM Magazine—Durango, Colo., March 27, 2026—Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) plans to invest more than $37.5 million in capital improvements across its Power Pass network ahead of the 2026-27 season in the United States and the 2026 season in South America, with projects focused on snowmaking expansion, lift infrastructure, and terrain developme...
SAM Magazine—Charlemont, Mass., March 23, 2026—Berkshire East and Catamount Resorts in Massachusetts have joined Bear Den Partners, formalizing an ownership transition that brings the Schaefer family’s two ski areas into a growing portfolio alongside Vermont’s Burke Mountain and Smugglers’ Notch. The move folds Berkshire East and Catamou...
SAM Magazine—Engelberg, Switzerland, March 18, 2026—A gondola cabin fell from the line this morning and tumbled down a slope at a ski resort in Engelberg, Switzerland, killing the only passenger, who police identified as a 61-year-old woman from the region. The two-stage Titlis Xpress gondola stopped following the detachment, which occurred ...
SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., March 16, 2026—Fickle February snowfall led to significant disparities in winter occupancy between two different regions in the West—Colorado and Utah (CO/UT) on the one hand, and the “rest of the West” (RoW), i.e., California, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, on the other. The most recent monthly Mar...
SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., March 10, 2026—Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz pointed to “the most difficult weather environment in the Rockies we have ever seen” as the primary culprit for the company’s financial declines in both the second quarter ended Jan. 31, 2026, and season-to-date metrics. Q2 resort reported EBITDA was down 8.3 percent...
SAM Magazine—Eden, Utah, March 10, 2026—SunDown Lodge RenderingPowder Mountain will invest $40 million in a terrain expansion and base-area improvements on the public side of the resort as part of its evolving public/private operating model. The multi-year investment plan includes three lifts, a new lodge, and a 1,000-acre terrain expansion. R...
SAM Magazine—Salem, Ore., March 6, 2026—Oregon State HouseOregon lawmakers finally passed a bill that strengthens the enforceability of liability waivers in the state after several previous attempts to quell what had amounted to a crisis for the state’s outdoor recreation providers failed to progress over the past decade or so. Senate Bill 15...
SAM Magazine—DENVER, March 5, 2026—Alterra Mountain Company’s 2026-27 Ikon Pass suite of products goes on sale March 12 with new partners, access, benefits, and numerous other changes. The full Ikon Pass, which offers the least restrictive levels of access to 76 ski areas around the world, will start at US$1,349 for adults ages 23 and up; ...
SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., March 5, 2026—The 2026-27 Mountain Collective pass is on sale and has retained all the resort destinations around the world that it offered in 2025-26. The spring sale price is US$669/CA$895, up from US$639/CA$849 for 2025-26. The pass provides two days of access with no blackout dates to 27 ski areas in the United...
If it’s done strategically, Wisconsin resort leader Rick Schmitz sees ‘no better investment’ than owning the snow for greater Milwaukee day trippers. Here’s why. (This the third stop on Andy Bigford’s Revival Road Trip, where he is offering monthly reports from the road as he works on the third installment in the Ski Inc. book series...
SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., March 4, 2026—Vail Resorts (VR) launched sales of the 2026-27 Epic Pass with new options for customers ages 13-30 added to the lineup at 20 percent less than the full Epic Pass price. Previously, the full Epic Pass had two price tiers: child (ages 5-12) and adult (ages 13 and up). The more restricted Epic Local P...
SAM Magazine—Henniker, N.H., March 3, 2026—Pats Peak will undergo a significant expansion of its snowmaking system this summer that will allow the ski area to double the number of snow guns it can operate at once starting in winter 2026-27. The project is headlined by a new 21-million-gallon snowmaking water reservoir that will be excavated ...
SAM Magazine—Albion, Idaho, March 3, 2026—Pomerelle Mountain Resort in southern Idaho has been sold to mountain manager Zach Alexander and his wife, Crystal, according to Ski Idaho. The Anderson family, which has owned and operated the ski area for decades, finalized the sale this month. Financial terms were not disclosed. Local Freshies first...
SAM Magazine—Bellaire, Mich., March 3, 2026—After more than 20 years of ownership, Trinidad Resort & Club, LLC, has sold Shanty Creek Resort to a new ownership group called Shanty Creek Ski and Golf Resort, LLC. Shanty Creek Resort is a 5,500-acre, four-season property that includes two ski areas—Shuss Mountain and Shanty Creek—five ...
SAM Magazine—Lake Placid, N.Y., Feb. 25, 2026—The New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) board of directors approved $15.9 million in capital investments across Whiteface, Gore, and Belleayre mountains, continuing a multi-year run of infrastructure upgrades at the state-owned ski areas. At its Feb. 20 meeting, the board p...
SAM Magazine—Granby, Colo., Feb. 25, 2026—Indy Pass has added 16 new alpine and cross-country ski area partners and will open 2026-27 pass sales Feb. 25 to existing pass holders under a new automatic renewal structure the company said is designed to manage demand. Current pass holders can renew at the lowest guaranteed price by opting into an ...
SAM Magazine—Happy Valley, Ore., Feb. 18, 2026—Loveland's Annual Mountaintop Matrimony.From record-breaking revenues in the East to "miracle" snowfalls in the West, the Presidents’ Day long weekend continued the trend of a ski industry defined by extreme contrasts. While the East Coast basked in one of its strongest seasons in a decade, the W...
This rustic, soulful resort is an anomaly, but the well-capitalized, strategic rebirth of Robert Redford’s legacy is chock full of lessons for all resort operators. By Andy Bigford (This is the second stop on Andy Bigford's Revival Road Trip, where he is offering monthly reports from the road as he works on the third installment in the Ski I...
SAM Magazine—Slinger Wis., Feb. 16, 2026—Little Switzerland Ski Area will install two new Skytrac quad chairlifts this summer to replace the ski area’s Lift 1 and Lift 2, a unique “up and over” double chairlift that loads from both the base area and backside of the ski area and transports guests uphill in opposite directions to unload at ...
SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Feb. 16, 2026—While severely dry conditions and warm temperatures took a serious toll on mountain lodging properties in Colorado and Utah, the better snowfall in the “rest of the West”—California, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana—kept results on the upswing, according to DestiMetrics-participating pro...
SAM Magazine—Mesa, Colo., Feb. 11, 2026—Rendering of the new Wild West Express lift.As it approaches its 60th anniversary season, Powderhorn Mountain Resort is introducing a limited three-year season pass, positioning it as both a loyalty offering and commitment to affordability amid a major capital upgrade and plans for future improvements. ...
SAM Magazine—Jeffersonville, Vt., Feb. 11, 2026—Bear Den Partners has acquired a majority ownership interest in Smugglers’ Notch Resort from Bill Stritzler, who has owned Smuggs for 29 years and whose family will retain an ownership stake in the resort. Stritzler’s daughter and Smuggs CEO Lisa Howe will serve as an advisor on the future o...
SAM Magazine—Happy Valley, Ore., Feb. 6, 2026—Mt. Ashland Ski AreaThe historic snow drought gripping the Pacific Northwest claimed more operational days this week as four of Oregon’s ski areas announced indefinite suspensions or significant reductions in operations, leaving lift chairs empty and slopes bare across the lower Cascades and Siski...
SAM Magazine—Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Jan. 23, 2026—Unionized workers returned to work today and Le Massif de Charlevoix will reopen for winter operations tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 24, after the resort and the union reached a tentative collective agreement, concluding a three-week strike. Earlier this week, Le Massif ownership ended the ...
SAM Magazine—Happy Valley, Ore., Jan. 21, 2026—MassanuttenThe 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend presented a stark geographical divide across North American ski areas. Based on a cross-continent survey of operators and regional associations, the weekend was defined by record-breaking snowfall and “all-time” attendance in the East, ...
SAM Magazine—Beaupré, Quebec, Jan. 21, 2026—Mont-Sainte-Anne and operator Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) have reached an agreement with the Quebec government to fund substantial capital improvements at the resort, including the replacement of four lifts with three new ones, new snowmaking infrastructure, and installation of warm-season ...
SAM Magazine—Boyne Falls, Mich., Jan. 21, 2026—Boyne Resorts has launched the Boyne Forever Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) public charity that will coordinate philanthropic giving and grantmaking across the company’s 13 North American properties. The foundation will focus on three areas: environmental stewardship, community investment,...
SAM Magazine—Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Quebec, Jan. 20, 2026—Le Massif de Charlevoix has closed for a second time amid an ongoing, indefinite strike by roughly 300 of its unionized employees. The resort closed from Jan. 2–6 when the strike began and had reopened with limited operations starting Jan. 7. Le Massif’s decision to shut do...
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 20, 2026—Online voting for the videos produced by six chosen ski areas competing in the 2026 “I AM a Snowmaker” contest, sponsored by HKD Snowmakers, is now open. Voting ends Monday, Feb. 2, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Since it debuted in winter 2013-14, the annual I AM contest has served as an important recogniti...
SAM Magazine—Bend, Ore., Jan. 20, 2026—Snowvana will make its East Coast debut when the consumer ski and snowboard expo comes to the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough, Mass., just outside Boston, Nov. 6-8, 2026. The show will be held in four locations this year including Seattle (Oct. 16-18), Portland, Ore. (Oct. 23-25), and Wisconsin (No...
SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Jan. 16, 2026—Low snowfall led to a lackluster December for mountain town lodging operations across most of the West, according to the December Market Briefing from Inntopia's DestiMetrics division. But in spite of the challenges, lodging properties managed to mitigate much of the negative impact—at least for ...
SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Jan. 15, 2026—Skier visits for Vail Resorts (VR) destinations were down 20 percent for the season through Jan. 4 compared to a year ago, the company reported today. The news reflects below-normal snowfall across much of the West and the resulting limited operations at many resorts. It also provides a window into ...
SAM Magazine—Jackson, Wyo., Jan. 13, 2026—Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski patrollers voted against unionizing in a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election held over two days last week, but the result is not yet final because challenged ballots are still under review. In a social media statement Jan. 10, the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol sa...
SAM Magazine—Nederland, Colo., Jan. 13, 2026—The Town of Nederland’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted Jan. 6 to approve an asset purchase agreement that would pave the way for the municipal acquisition of Eldora Mountain Resort from Powdr Corp. for roughly $120 million. The approved agreement authorizes Nederland to purchase Eldora throug...
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 13, 2026—The Ski Resort AI Bootcamp will return in 2026 with four new virtual live sessions focusing on practical, department-level applications of artificial intelligence for ski areas. The program pairs self-paced coursework with live discussions featuring mountain resort professionals and technology experts....
SAM Magazine—Telluride, Colo., Jan. 9, 2026—The Telluride Professional Ski Patrol union, on strike since Dec. 27, accepted the latest offer from the resort on Thursday, ending the 13-day walkout that had vastly reduced visits and led resort owner Chuck Horning to shutter operations. The resort resumed very limited operations on three runs on Ja...
On the cusp of turning 65, the Wiseman family’s Swiss Valley has done more than persevere, it's found a Perfect future. This is part 1 of Andy Bigford's Revival Road Trip. Knowing what you don’t know is critical to any successful endeavor. It can also help save the life of an endangered ski area in this weather-challenged corner of southwest...
SAM Magazine—Happy Valley, Ore., Jan. 8, 2026—Killington Resort The two-week 2025-26 holiday period was a tale of haves vs. have-nots. While the East, Midwest, and Canadian Rockies set records with big visitation numbers, the Western U.S. navigated a complex weather pattern that delivered atmospheric rivers in some areas and historically low sn...
SAM Magazine—St. Paul, Minn., Jan. 7, 2026—Minnesota’s 18 operating ski areas generated $359.1 million in total economic value to the state during the 2024-25 winter season, according to an analysis commissioned by the Minnesota Ski Areas Association (MNSAA) and conducted by RRC Associates. The study captured both direct spending at ski areas...
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 7, 2026—Resorts are investing more in technology and increasingly treating it as a strategic priority, according to SAM’s 2025–26 Technology Survey. Respondents indicated the next wave of investment is focused on system integration, guest-facing services, and using data to inform operational and revenue deci...
SAM Magazine—Telluride, Colo., Jan. 5, 2026—After nine days of the resort being closed entirely during a strike by its unionized ski patrollers, Telluride opened two lower mountain trails served by one aerial lift and two conveyors today. The free village gondola is also spinning. Failed contract negotiations led to a Telluride Professional ...
SAM Magazine—Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Quebec, Jan. 5, 2026—Following the expiration of their collective agreement, roughly 300 union-represented employees at Le Massif de Charlevoix went on strike, Friday, Jan. 2, forcing the resort to close all operations including lifts, food services, retail, and tobogganing.Credit: Conseil central d...
